Sailor Moon: A Forgotten Life
by Kag-kins
Summary: Do Makoto's disturbing dreams hold the key to beating their new enemy, or will they only tear apart her new relationship with Motoki? Can the senshi stretch their memories beyond the Moon Kingdom to find the truth, or is it too late? ON HIATUS.
1. Episode 1

Makoto jerked in her bed, in the throes of a dream—or a nightmare. Everything was blurry, she saw lightning blaze across her vision, green eyes that mirrored her own narrowed in hate and rage—

She woke with a start, words spoken by a harsh voice ringing in her ears.

"_You've betrayed me, Jupiter!_"

Makoto took in a shuddering breath and slumped back on her pillow. There had been more, much more, to the dream, but nothing made sense. Groggily, she turned her gaze to the clock. Two in the morning. Turning over, Makoto tried to erase the dream from her mind and get back to asleep.

The next morning, she made her way to school and made a half-hearted attempt to keep awake during her morning classes. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the gaze from her dream, so very like her own but crackling with hatred. But each time the scene faded a little more, and Makoto made it without major incident to lunch.

Sitting at her normal table underneath the tree, she opened her lunch box and waited for Usagi to join her. Ami had a different lunch period, but Usagi, drawn by the smell of Makoto's cooking, would be there in a moment, unless she had detention.

As predicted, Usagi arrived only a few seconds after Makoto had opened her lunch. She seated herself at the other side of the table and smiled up at Makoto.

Makoto began to smile back as Usagi launched her usual cheery greeting- but suddenly, as if triggered by Usagi's presence, Makoto heard the voice again, as clear and sharp as it had been just after she had awakened from her nightmare.

"_You've betrayed me, Jupiter!_"

Suddenly dizzy, Makoto raised a hand to her forehead. Startled, Usagi leaned forward.

"Makoto! Are you okay?" Makoto nodded, carefully, but the dizzy feeling was gone as soon as it had come. It was replaced by a slight feeling of guilt—as if she had done something wrong.

"Nothing, Usagi. Just a dizzy spell. Not much sleep last night." Usagi frowned a bit, as if unsatisfied by this explanation, but then her eyes widened and she grinned.

"Oh! Makoto, I forgot! How was your date with Motoki?" Temporarily pushing the dream aside, Makoto blushed slightly.

"Nice. He took me out to dinner at that new Chinese place." It had been nice. They'd talked about everything, and the food and atmosphere had been perfect. It had certainly been the most romantic date she'd ever been on. Of course, then she'd had that dream, but if that had been the price of the evening it was definitely worth it.

Lunch continued, and school continued, and before Makoto knew it school was out. Usagi had a test coming up in math, and Ami was worried about it, so both of them were headed over to the temple for the 'senshi study group' Makoto debated, and finally decided to join them—after a detour to the arcade.

When she stepped through the doors, she was surprised to see, not Motoki, but another teen boy with blonde hair, long and wavy to his mid-back, and in a low ponytail. He was playing the Sailor V game, and looked like he was racking up a high score. As she walked behind him, scanning the room for Motoki, he glanced up. Suddenly the monster attacked, and the screen flashed.

Smiling a bit ruefully, his eyes met Makoto's. For a split second, all she felt was a bit of surprise—his eyes were a light purple, really closer to indigo. She hadn't ever met anyone with eyes quite that shade. Rei's were much darker.

Then an odd feeling of fear and guilt washed over her. But the fear was more pressing, and she averted her gaze as she heard Motoki call her name as he stepped out from the back room.

* * *

Hiroki leaned back on the game he had just lost, watching as the taller girl met with the arcade guy. He had never believed in much spiritual stuff, but when he had looked into her eyes, sudden feelings of hatred, rage and despair had come over him. How had a girl he was sure he had never seen before evoke such negative emotions in him? 

Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe he just didn't like something about her, or some subconscious memory compared her to someone he had known before and had intensely disliked.

Only… _had_ he ever disliked someone that strongly before? His eyes followed her as she said goodbye to the arcade guy and walked out, seemingly hurried and uncomfortable. The feelings rose again, not as strong as the first, sudden rush, but very real in his gut.

He didn't like it. Hiroki was positive he had never met her before, a certainty made even more likely by the fact that he had only just moved to Tokyo. Why did he hate her so much? They hadn't said one word to each other, but if her manner as she left was any indication, she had sensed something too.

* * *

Makoto hurried to the temple, her steps quickening as soon as she said goodbye to Motoki. She had felt the other boy's eyes on her, watching as she left. The fear and guilt had been almost suffocating. But she didn't even remember meeting him before; much less doing anything that would cause those emotions. 

That, combined with the dream and the dizzy spell at lunch (that episode had also included a feeling of guilt, she realized) made her nervous. She had been hoping for peace and quiet after they had stopped the Death Busters.

That snapped her out of it. Frowning, she shook her head at her own stupidity. This was just the result of leftover stress from a near death experience. Her date with Motoki had restarted things because it seemed that it was always after the too-good-to-be-true moments that bad things happened. All of this was just her imagination.

I hope, she thought as she stepped through the temple gates.

* * *

Makoto stepped into the study room just as Rei was pulling a book—likely a manga—from behind Usagi's math book. Seating herself next to Ami, who was caught between being amused as Usagi tried to explain to Rei how the manga had gotten there and being frustrated at Usagi's lack of motivation towards her schoolwork, Makoto watch smiled. Whatever stress had accumulated seemed to ebb away at the familiar scene. 

The study group wasn't, for once, doubling as a senshi meeting. Other than Usagi's alternating attempts to do the math and avoid it, nothing of any importance happened. More relief flooded Makoto. Just stress. Just stress.

Later, walking home, she passed a park. Deciding to stop and rest for a moment, she sat at a bench and watched a couple of kids play tag. A while they were called away by their parents and she stood. It was getting dark, and time to be home. Before she could get more than a few steps away from the bench, however, a scream came from behind her. Whirling, she saw a girl backed against a tree, trying to evade a—

So much for calm, Makoto thought. More monsters. Which means a new enemy. There should be a mandatory vacation period, but no. Not for senshi. Checking to see if anyone else was around (the girl was terrified; Makoto wouldn't have been surprised if she wouldn't remember her own name at the moment, much less a description of Makoto)

"Jupiter Star Power!" she called, puling out her wand, and felt the henshin begin. A moment later, she was Sailor Jupiter. Grabbing her communicator, she opened it and said hurriedly, "This is Jupiter. I'm at the park, and there's a monster attacking a girl." Shutting it and putting it back in the skirt pocket, she just hoped the others had had theirs nearby.

"Hey! Ugly! Over here!" The monster turned from the girl it had been trying to grab, and Jupiter hoped that she had enough sense to run, especially as she looked to be Jupiter's own age.

However, she didn't. She straightened, then smiled in a way that made a shiver go up Jupiter's spine. Then, pulling out a wand of her own, she did the last thing Jupiter had expected. Holding up the wand, she called out, "Nemesis Power! Makeup!" and began to henshin. In a moment, she stood as a senshi, but not one Jupiter knew. Her fuku was worn, with a pearl gray bodice and no brooch. Other details were lost on Jupiter, however, when she saw the earrings.

They were Black Poison Crystal. The only difference from Diamond'swas base was silver rather than gold, but that wasn't very comforting to Jupiter.

The monster remained stationary until the senshi snapped her fingers, never taking her eyes off Jupiter. Then it flickered, for a moment, and vanished. The dark senshi smiled, and Jupiter had the uncomfortable feeling she had just walked into a trap.

* * *

AN: Confusing? Good. This first chapter is meant to be so. More to come as I write and edit. Don't expect frequent updates (or long ones), as this is a side project and, like it says in my profile, I'm not a person who usually writes fanfiction epics. 

However, whether you liked it or not, feel free to review.

Edit: I just added that last bit. It was going to be in the next episode, but I wanted to start to introduce one of the enemies here. Also, it was really short (and still is, but at least it's a little better).


	2. Episode 2

Jupiter braced herself, ready to fight or talk. Another senshi? Hadn't encountering four more just a short time ago been enough? And if her henshin was any clue, along with the earrings, then…

"Greetings, Jupiter. I am Sailor Nemesis, Senshi of Memory and former guardian of the Gray Crystal." Nemesis's smile grew wider, and then, suddenly, she attacked.

"Poison Crystal Shards!" Jupiter threw up her arms as a volley of black crystals shaped like the senshi's earrings flew at her. They cut at her arms as she tried to dodge, and she automatically retaliated.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Nemesis screamed as the attack hit her arm, but she recovered quickly and laughed.

"Do you really think I would be beaten by lightning? My Lord's temper is not so even as that! Lightning is the last ability you should ever use against his followers!"

Jupiter jolted. Her dream—there had been lightning, and eyes like her own… Nemesis did not intend to give her any time to ponder. She opened her mouth to attack again when a voice came from behind them.

"Jupiter! Where are you?" Finally the other senshi had arrived. Keeping her eyes on Nemesis, Jupiter shouted, "Here! There's-" But she was caught off guard as another one of Nemesis's attacks came at her. Rolling to escape it, she looked up as the others came into view. Sailor Moon gasped, and whispered, "Another senshi?"

Nemesis smiled coldly at their confusion, and spoke, mockingly polite. "Yes. I just introduced myself to Jupiter. Nemesis, senshi of, at your service, princess." Then her eyes narrowed.

"Poison Crystal Shards!" she screamed, aiming the attack directly at Sailor Moon. Mars reacted before the rest of them. She pushed Sailor Moon out of the way and threw herself to the ground, then threw her own attack at Nemesis.

"Burning Mandala!" Nemesis jumped nimbly aside, and laughed.

"Your aim has gotten worse, Mars." Then a flash of molten gold streaked at her, and she only barely managed to avoid it. At the other end of the chain was Venus.

"Unfortunately, one senshi was never a match for five." She turned toward Jupiter.

"I'll see you again, when I've more allies or you less. After all, we still need to collect Soldiers Aphrodite and Hera to complete our number. Until then, Jupiter." And Nemesis vanished.

* * *

Makoto didn't make it to her apartment that night; they all make their way back to Rei's temple for an impromptu sleepover. After setting up a sleeping bags for them, and numerous calls home to assure their parents it was a study sleepover (which, as Usagi said, _was_ partly true), they took out the school books in case of interruption, and started trying to figure out their new enemy. 

Ami was able to give them some info on the references to Aphrodite and Hera, anyway.

"Aphrodite is the Greek counterpart to Venus, Roman goddess of love, and Hera is the Greek counterpart of Juno, Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods. Other than that, I'm lost." Ami frowned, and Makoto had to hide a smile. Ami did not like not knowing things.

"But Nemesis said Soldier- wouldn't that seem like a guy's title?" asked Minako. Ami nodded, but said, "However, with the exception of you, Venus, all of our senshi names refer to gods. Mercury is the Roman name for Hermes, a messenger god. However, that's unimportant at the moment. What gets me is Aphrodite. It's counterpart, like I mentioned, is Venus."

That reminder got silence. Then Rei had an idea of her own.

"Maybe there are soldiers that are counterparts to the senshi? Soldier Aphrodite, Sailor Venus, Soldier Hera- wait. There isn't a Sailor Juno, and it's not a planet."

Sailor Juno. A sudden picture appeared in front of Makoto's eyes, and she saw long blonde hair, tied in a braid, and heard laughter, childlike and carefree. Then the image turned dark, and she saw a snatched glimpse of an explosion, pieces flying everywhere.

The blast seemed to knock her back into the real world. She gasped and lurched forward from her sitting position, pain lancing through her head. The other senshi crowded around her, asking what was wrong.

And she had to tell them. There was no way these visions were coincidence now.

* * *

Far removed from the senshi's discussion, Nemesis reappeared at a black palace. She walked down the path to the gate, and nodded to the emotionless gate guardian. The girl was creepy, her blank eyes staring nowhere, but she was a reminder to all at the palace what they were fighting for. 

Nemesis stepped through the gate and eyed the scorched gardens, or what had been gardens. Burn marks were everywhere. Her master had used his powers to destroy them after—after—

Was she so afraid of a mere _soldier_ that she did not even dare think of a thing he had forbidden to be spoken aloud?

Nemesis sighed and rubbed her temples as she navigated the twisting hallways leading to the throne room. When she reached it however, she stopped, hearing voices. However, it was doubtful anything secretive was going on, and one of the voices, she was sure, belonged to Sailor Ganymede. And Nemesis wasn't fond enough of the simpering satellite senshi to give her any privacy.

Stepping inside, she revised her opinion of Ganymede upward a bit. Because, standing bewildered in the throne room, was Soldier Aphrodite. Or, rather, his reincarnation, who had no clue what was going on. Yet.

From the throne, she felt the gaze of her lord on her. She immediately dropped to one knee, acknowledging him, but chafing inside. It seemed she was afraid of a mere soldier, after all. Rising, she ignored Ganymede and Aphrodite, looking up at the throne.

"Ah, Nemesis. Was your introduction successful?" He had probably been watching, what with his scrying abilities, but she knew better than to point that out.

"Yes. They know they have an enemy. And Jupiter's progress is excellent. Of course, she has many triggers that are easily pulled as long as she stays in the vicinity of the Silver Senshi. The others have not begun, but I think Jupiter will tell them, soon. And then…" Nemesis let it hang unspoken. The brooding soldier at the throne nodded and smiled, albeit coldly. Then he gestured to the still-confused boy.

"Nemesis, I believe Aphrodite's memory needs to be… stimulated." Nemesis grinned. She didn't get to use this power often enough.

Standing in front of him, she placed a hand on his forehead and ignored his questions. Closing her eyes, she sifted through his memories. He was quite the charmer, but not really malicious, as he had been before. Searching deeper, beyond this life, she found the memories she needed to awaken. Memories of when he had been Soldier Aphrodite, a breaker of hearts and one of her lord's allies. A slippery one—and easily distracted by a pretty face—but what did one expect of a soldier whose powers came from the physical side of love?

"Memory Awaken!" Her power flowed through her fingers, tingeing him with darkness. An interesting side affect, but not entirely unexpected. Even her purest powers of memory had been tainted by what had become of her planet.

She felt the deep memories from two lifetimes ago rise to the surface of his mind, and felt that life, centuries long, destroy the personality the scant years of memory his life on earth had created. Nemesis backed up a step, removing her hand, and watched as chaos flickered in his blue eyes. Then he readjusted his stance, from the gangly, nervous teenager he had been into the soldier and prince he was again.

Ganymede had left, and that exercise had taken far more power that Nemesis had thought it would. Calling back a complete life, especially the life before last, was far more difficult than the glimpses she had been feeding Jupiter. After the lord dismissed her, she made her way back to her quarters and collapsed. On her bed, not bothering to detransform or brush her hair. Loose to her mid-back and wavy, with two thin, even longer braids in front of her ears that hung to her knees, it was a brown bush when she didn't comb it. However, she'd deal with it tomorrow. For now, she had sleep to catch.

* * *

The senshi sat in silence when Makoto had finished, telling the strange feelings and flashes of pictures she had had all day, since the first dream. None of it made sense at all to her, but maybe the others knew something Makoto didn't. 

It was Luna who broke the quiet, however.

"None of this sounds familiar. But there were lives before the Silver Millennium where things were different. Maybe your visions are from one of those?" Then Artemis left Minako's lap.

"In ordinary cases, your memories don't stretch out that far. But there have been senshi since the beginning of time, reincarnated each time a bit differently so that someday mankind can achieve purity and happiness through them and the Silver Imperium crystal. It's why everyone will stop aging in Crystal Tokyo." Luna interrupted him.

"Unfortunately, we cats are from the Silver Millennium timeline. This is the first time we've been reborn, and even that wasn't reincarnation, strictly speaking. So we have no knowledge of any lifetimes before that."

Makoto bit her lip, worried. Advice from Luna and Artemis had saved them before—but this time, even the cats were flying blind.

It was added to the list of numerous things Makoto hadn't liked about her day. However, when the senshi decided to call it quits and go to sleep, Makoto pushed it out of her mind. Thinking of happier things, (like Motoki) she forced herself to sleep.

But dreamlessness was beyond her.

* * *

AN: Another chapter, almost as confusing as the last. Don't worry, it'll be clear soon enough. Remember, leave a review! And I hope everyone's having a happy holiday season. 


	3. Episode 3

_A ball of energy, pale lavender in color but deadly nonetheless, gathered in the hands of a senshi with long blonde hair in a braid. Then, a sudden attack, and the power, meant for a target far across space, slammed downward into the planet they stood on. The girl turned to her with violet eyes filled with despair—_

_Those same eyes, this time happy and carefree, flashed before her, now belonging to a child. Jupiter heard carefree laughter, and saw the same girl as before, but younger, giggling and holding out her hand._

_"Of course we'll be friends forever, Jupiter!" More laughter—_

_A booming voice filled her head, green eyes narrowed at her and lightning flared—_

_"You've betrayed me, Jupiter!"_

The force of it knocked Makoto back into the world of the waking. Sitting up groggily and more confused than ever, head pounding, she sighed.

"Having fun?" Makoto jumped up and whirled to see Nemesis standing in the window. About to shout to wake the others, something occurred to her.

"You! You're sending these visions!" Nemesis laughed and fingered a messy braid as she replied. "I am the Senshi of Memory, after all. So don't think that just because they're from me that they're not real. They are all things you saw and heard in the life before the Silver Millennium. It was called the Dual Kingdom, until it fell."

Then she broke off and eyed the room, full of sleeping senshi. And grinned.

"Well. This is an unforeseen opportunity!" she said, grinning wider. Makoto, still processing Nemesis's comment from before, tried to jump back as, suddenly, she found Nemesis standing right in front of her, a hand to Makoto's forehead. She paled, realizing she couldn't move.

"Memory Awaken!" And Makoto's headache instantly intensified, and it seemed as if claws were raking through her mind, digging so deep in her thoughts and memories that she knew it wasn't possible she had gathered that many in this life.

And then the claws dug deeper still…

* * *

When Nemesis had selected the memories she wished—not all of them, which would have given the game away—she removed her hand and let Jupiter drop to the floor, those memories rising to the surface and playing in her mind. The others hadn't stirred—they hadn't exactly been shouting.

She wasn't as drained as before, but it had been tiresome. Jupiter had been reborn in the Silver Millennium, whereas Soldier Aphrodite had not. Only one soldier, Earth, had been reborn then.

And now she had vital information about Jupiter's newest weaknesses, the flaws her soul had obtained this lifetime. Nemesis glanced around at the others, but decided it wasn't worth it. The Black Poison Crystal earrings she wore were dead—she used them out of habit, now.

And shock value. The look on Jupiter's face had been priceless when she had seen them. However, there was no power for them to draw on, in the present. The Nemesis that orbited in this time was still pure, still filled with gray crystal untainted by darkness.

For now, she thought, teleporting herself back to her master's fortress. But Sailor Moon would see an end to that, she finished bitterly.

* * *

Images flashed before her in no particular order, and Makoto was utterly lost. Then the whirling slowed, and, finally solidified into a few, clear images.

_It was Venus, her uniform ripped and torn. The world around them was in chaos, and a battlefield filled with the dead, dying, and fighting surrounded them. Venus, spying Jupiter, cried out, "This is your fault! My brother turned traitor because of you!" and she lunged with her chain. It turned molten as it flew, and wrapped around Jupiter's arm. She screamed—_

_And the image fled. Now she saw a man with dark-blue hair and wings on the heels of his boots, and far away she heard running feet. A voice beside her ordered her to kill him. She looked for its source, and saw another man with hard green eyes and straight brown hair in a low ponytail. He saw her indecision and suddenly lightning appeared in his hands. He flung it at the other man, who, already wounded, had no chance to dodge. Then the door in front of them burst open as Mercury saw him fall to the floor, dead._

_Tears brimmed in her eyes, then anger. Fog filled the room—_

_Now Jupiter knelt, wounded herself, on white steps leading to a silver gate. Mars stood in front of it, and a bow of fire formed in her hands. An arrow, also of flame, appeared as well, pointed at the prostrate Jupiter. Her eyes were cold and hard. They held no mercy._

_"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you, Jupiter."_

Sudden darkness claimed her, and then, opening her eyes, she blinked in the light. The others were beginning to stir.

How could she face them? In this life, and in the Silver Millennium, she had fought for good.

But it was becoming increasingly clear that, in the life before, _she_ had been the villain.

* * *

AN: So very very short. But I just had to leave it at that line.

As always, read and review!


	4. Episode 4

The other senshi woke to find Makoto already up and out-of-sorts, not making eye contact or speaking in anything other than monosyllables.

What they didn't know was that, every time she did meet their eyes, the image of them would return. Whenever Usagi glanced her way, she flinched, half-expecting to suddenly see Sailor Moon, wand raised, about to strike.

On the way to school, she kept ahead of Usagi and Ami, glad that her stride was so much longer. In her first period, she tried to convince herself that Nemesis was lying. After all, she was an enemy. Why would she tell the truth?

But there was the problem. It didn't matter what Nemesis said. The memories weren't false. Makoto remembered when things from the Silver Millennium had come back to her. There was no mistaking the visions she saw now for lies.

Because she didn't just see and hear things. She had felt the heat from Venus's chain burn her arm, had shivered as the cold from Mercury's fog had seeped into her bones, and had been unable to stand before Mars because of the pain in her body.

Her thoughts continued along the morbid train, replaying everything she had seen since the night before last. Had it really only been that short a time since this had all began?

"Ms. Kino, as it seems you have missed the introduction of our new student, would you be so kind as to show him around school today?" Makoto was jolted from her musing as her teacher gestured to the boy standing in front of the class. Her stomach twisted as she saw his eyes. Violet. It was that boy from the arcade.

Who, now that she thought about it, had the same eye and hair color as the senshi in her dreams. That bit of information, however, was rendered minor as the feelings she had felt the first time they had run into each other resurfaced.

She could barely nod as fear flooded her body, nearly paralyzing her. The guilt was there too, but not as strong or as nauseating. Makoto wanted to be far, far away from him.

However, she was forced to sit still as the teacher directed him to the empty seat behind her. Sweating nervously, she tried to calmly ignore his presence, praying for the bell.

Because, as bad as it would be showing him around, it was infinitely worse to have him as her back.

* * *

Hiroki couldn't believe his streak of bad luck. He had stepped into his new classroom to find _her_—and as he did so, the familiar hate and rage rushed back. It was all he could do not to throttle her when the obviously blind teacher placed him behind her, and told her to guide him around school for the rest of the day.

Try as he might to listen to the droning teacher, it was impossible. For one, it was mind-numbingly boring, and for two, the girl was distracting. She was also taller than him, which made it hard to see around her. It also appeared that he had been right at the arcade. She fidgeted the entire period, as if unable to get comfortable, and he saw a bead of sweat run down the back of her neck.

There was no mistaking the fact that she knew something was wrong as well.

As the bell rang, Makoto hurriedly gathered her stuff and turned to find him waiting, having gotten his own beg together. As calmly as possible, she introduced herself.

"I'm Kino Makoto. Since I missed your introduction…" she let it trail off. He responded, as uncomfortable and jerky as she was.

"Hiroki. Harada Hiroki." They both left it at that as they filed out of the room, and Makoto sighed. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Hiroki decided that, not only was it disturbing to hate someone he barely knew, it was equally so when she looked like she could flatten him without breaking a sweat, but she was nervous and breathing shakily just being around him.

Of course, she could be like that with everyone, but the boy next to him in second period had seemed to think Makoto was coming down with something serious if she was behaving so meekly.

Obviously being polite rather than wanting him to stay with her, she invited him to sit at her table just as a blonde girl with two buns in her hair showed up. He was about to say no, he could find his own table, when he heard a laughing voice behind him.

"Soldier Hera! What a pleasant surprise! And here I was coming to ask Jupiter where you might be!"

Turning he saw a girl with long blonde hair with a ribbon tied nearly at the end of it, and dark blue eyes. She wore the strangest uniform he had ever seen—in fact, it looked exactly like—

A senshi fuku.

He was in trouble now. Why did he have to move to Tokyo?

* * *

Sailor Ganymede couldn't believe her luck. She had assumed it would take her another month, to find the second Soldier, and here he was, only the day after! Her lord would be so pleased with her!

"Blinding Adoration!" she attacked suddenly, carefully missing Hera and aiming for Sailor Moon, who, just to add more luck to the whole, was not transformed. Despite her master's grudge against Jupiter, Moon was stronger and thus to be gotten rid of first.

Then Jupiter leaped in the way. Even as a civilian, her frame could take a satellite senshi's attack. Drat. Her frustration had a solution, though. Soon, her master would have all of the Silver Senshi and their crystal in his pocket, and then he would grant her powers of a planetary senshi.

Or even those of the one satellite not bound by those rules: Sailor Moon.

Her daydream abruptly ended when a lightning attack came at her. She yelped as it hit her, but remained standing.

All of the students had fled the courtyard at Ganymede's attack. In her moment of distraction, Jupiter and Moon had transformed.

And without Nemesis, I don't stand a chance, she thought as Jupiter and Moon faced her, ready for the second round.

"Soldier Hera, do you really want to stay with them? If you come with me, you'll see that we are not the villains here. Do you want to meet your sister, Hera? Come with me…" Ganymede laced her voice with her powers. She didn't have Venus's abilities with emotional love nor Aphrodite's control of the physical, but what good was being the senshi of adoration when you couldn't charm a boy who didn't know his powers yet?

"Quit mesmerizing him! In the name of the moon I shall-" Ganymede cut Moon off with a laugh.

"Punish me? Purify me? I see a problem with that, Sailor Moon. There is no darkness in me. I'm under no spell. As I told Hera, _we_ are not the villains here. And even you may be forgiven, Moon, but Jupiter may not." There. It was impossible to fetch Soldier Hera at this point, but Ganymede had given them a scare and some definite food for thought. Snapping her fingers, she reappeared outside the black palace, savoring the looks on their faces,and nodded to the gate-girl. Conversationally, she told her,

"Your brother should be by to see you any day now."

Juno did not reply.

* * *

AN: Still annoyingly short. But the plot thickens! And remember to review! 


	5. Episode 5

School was in such chaos after the attack that Usagi and Makoto were able to get away undetected, Hiroki—now known to be Soldier Hera, whatever that was, in tow. He had protested, but, as they had pointed out, he was a target, and he knew who they were.

Walking to Rei's temple, if Usagi noticed the odd tension between Hiroki and Makoto, she said nothing. By the time they got to the temple, school would be out, and the others would be there.

* * *

Hiroki decided his day had gone from disturbing to a full-blown bad day. He still hated Makoto—Sailor Jupiter—and didn't know why. He was also uncomfortable around Usagi. On the way to the Sendai Temple, they asked questions.

Did you know that senshi? Do you know Sailor Nemesis? Do you know who Soldier Hera is? Are you Soldier Hera?

He wanted to yell that no, he didn't know. He had no idea what was going on. He was a farm boy who'd been insane enough to convince his parents to let him go to the city to 'broaden his horizons.'

Well, they were quite broad enough.

* * *

Makoto was edgy the entire trip, understandably. She still got the fear/guilt vibe from Hiroki, and she had noticed that when Usagi wasn't peppering him with questions that he, probably without noticing, glared daggers at her.

It had occurred to her that, maybe, he had had a former reincarnation from the life Nemesis had mentioned—the Dual Kingdom—and she had done something to him. Before her train of thought could progress farther, Usagi turned to her.

"Makoto, do you know what that senshi was talking about?" She twitched, and then sighed. Her most recent visions, courtesy of Nemesis, were going to have to come out now.

"Maybe. I'll bring it up when we get to the temple." Makoto was spared any more questions when a voice called out from behind them.

"Usagi! Usagi!" It was Ami, and they stopped as she caught up.

"I was in lab, and saw the whole thing, but I couldn't get away. What's going on?" Then she suddenly caught sight of Hiroki and stopped, unsure. Makoto answered her unsaid question.

"He's Hiroki. That senshi called him Soldier Hera, mentioned a sister he says he doesn't have, and said I was unforgivable. We're on our way to the temple." Her voice was clipped and annoyed, she knew, and Ami looked a bit taken aback at her sharpness, but Makoto had had a rough week, and it was only Tuesday.

For the rest of the trip, Usagi and Ami talked among themselves, and Ami asked Hiroki more questions, which he answered as testily as Makoto.

As they entered the temple gates, she smirked a bit.

Well. I'm not the only one having a bad day.

* * *

Minako and Rei were waiting for them, both annoyed, even if Rei was more so, at their lateness. An explanation later, they weren't really better off. Then Ami had her say.

"At this point, my idea is that there are soldier counterparts to the sailors. Makoto, you mentioned that both Nemesis and Ganymede were unafraid of lightning, even if Nemesis, who seems more powerful, was more resistant. And Nemesis mentioned-"

Makoto cut her off as she realized something.

"-that her master had a bad temper and threw around lightning! In my first dream, there was lightning, and-" Now if was Makoto's turn to stop. She did not want to say that the man from her vision with Mercury had thrown lightning, and had looked disturbingly like herself. Unfortunately, she saw no choice.

In a lower voice, she started to tell the other visions. The senshi—and Hiroki—listened silently.

The silence continued after she finished. Makoto didn't dare look up. She didn't want to see their faces.

Then Ami started to talk again.

"This cements it. In this Dual Kingdom lifetime, there were soldiers and senshi. Minako's brother would have been Soldier Aphrodite, who Nemesis mentioned. He was obviously on Jupiter's side, hence Venus's accusation. The man with blue hair and winged shoes was probably Soldier Hermes, my brother. Mars was set to shoot you because you weren't on our side in whatever war." Ami finished, then, suddenly, gasped.

"Of course! Dual! Dual Kingdom means a kingdom with two fighters per planet! A soldier and a senshi for each!"

* * *

"So close, Mercury. So very close." Turning, the senshi saw Sailor Nemesis standing in the doorway.

"The Dual Kingdom was a bit more than that. Two fighters for each planet—and two kingdoms supposedly in balance. On one side, the Silver Senshi with their crystal, with the strongest pure power. On the other, the Jupiteran Kingdom, with the largest population and army. Balanced—until Soldier Zeus decided it would be far better if he and his sister ruled everything. The wars began." She smiled nastily.

"At first, Jupiter listened to her brother, like a good girl. But then she betrayed him, all for love of the Moon Prince." Nemesis smirked. "How tragic. You should have shot her, Mars."

Surveying the stunned senshi—and Soldier Hera—she grinned widely. Ganymede was weak. Nemesis knew better than to drift off. While the senshi were still processing, Nemesis leaned forward and put a hand to Hera's forehead. That snapped Jupiter out of it.

"No!" the untransformed lightning senshi leapt forward and Nemesis dodged, keeping a hand to the frozen boy's head.

"Memory Awaken!" Time seemed to stop as she looked into him. Just like with Aphrodite, she would have to bring everything back, and that would tax her. Also, an awakened Soldier Hera would likely kill Jupiter—and her master would be unhappy if anyone other than he claimed that honor.

Finally finding the correct life, she pulled it to the surface.

* * *

Hiroki wanted to scream as white hot daggers seemed to plunge into his brain, but he couldn't move. This sailor—Nemesis, he guessed—could see everything. All of his secrets, his irrational hatred for Makoto—everything.

Then he felt a bubbling, deep within, and memories swarmed at him. A sister, his twin, with the same hair and eyes. Juno. How could he have forgotten?

Zeus, his king, Jupiter, his former queen, the order from Zeus to destroy the Moon and Earth, Juno gathering energy, Jupiter—

Words failed as he saw Juno scream with her planet as the blast, knocked away by Jupiter's attack, destroyed it from within its core. Hiroki felt himself fade away as Hera's hatred washed over him, hissing words repeated from a lifetime away fell from his lips as Nemesis, job done, removed her hand.

"You'll have to look behind your shoulder every lifetime, Jupiter, because I'll be hunting you."

AN: And short again. Ah well. Since this is Episode 5, there will be a break from updates while I double check and revise, which I do every five episodes.

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